No gun 'grabbers' at Rockford forum on concealed-carry law

ROCKFORD — Several people at Monday's concealed-carry forum said it wasn't what they expected, but they're happy they went.

Many of them expected it to be an anti-gun or anti-concealed-carry meeting because of a post on the Illinois State Rifle Association's Facebook page under the heading "Urgent Alert — Gun grabbers to hold forum on concealed carry in Rockford."

The post directed gun owners to be there "to support the right to keep and bear arms."

As it turned out, and as the forum was described to media last week, not a word was said about repealing the law or wanting to "take your guns away from you," as the post stated.

About 100 people turned out for the educational forum.

"I was pleasantly surprised," said Stephanie Butler of Poplar Grove, a member of the Well Armed Woman. "It was very informative."

Bob Janzen of Rockford "thought this was going to be a lot more of an anti-concealed-carry meeting. I was shocked to find out it was just a generally informative meeting. ... I've been to a bunch of these already, but this was a good one. It would have been a good one for someone who had never been to one before."

The event at the YWCA building on East State Street was put on by the League of Women Voters of Greater Rockford and the YWCA of Rockford.

"This is an educational forum so people can come out and learn about the new law that's coming into effect," league President Ann Dempsey said. "The mission of the league is not pro or con."

The panelists — NIU law professor Paul Cain, Winnebago County State's Attorney Joe Bruscato and Mark Walsh of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence — gave an overview of the new law, spoke about the legal ramifications and discussed the effect they think it will have on crime and local businesses.

Bruscato believes the law will have a positive impact on crime in Winnebago County. He said he's more concerned about the people who are buying guns illegally and engaging in criminal activity.

Some of Walsh's concerns are the difficulty people and businesses may have interpreting the law's provision regarding the sale of alcohol, the confusion that may also arise in posting "no-gun zone" signs, particularly in public places like parks, schools, and bus and train stops.

In its Facebook post, the state rifle association called Walsh's group "a rabidly anti-gun organization that is working hard to take your guns away from you."

Walsh said it had been a long-time opposer of the concealed-carry law, but its focus is making the law the best it can be.

"This is one of the problems with this issue. Instead of having actual conversations about what's in the law and making this the best law possible, it becomes 'Don't let them take your gun away'."